Paris: Taylor made for broadcasting

Taylor works the microphone these days, instead of dominating defensive linemen. The former Chargers, Packers, and Notre Dame guard still calls a family-oriented North County neighborhood home, settling in nine years ago when absorbing looks for something other than his size.

“I was the only single guy within 10 square miles,'' Taylor said.

Now he's all grown up, a virtual Norman Rockwell painting with his manicured lawn, a loving wife and two rambunctious sons under the age of 5.

Time flies, and there goes Taylor to catch another plane as a CBS college football analyst.

On Saturday, he'll be chatting-up the Tulsa-Houston tilt, one week after his reassuring words confirmed that San Diego State really did upset Boise State.

“I thought what we witnessed was that program taking a step in the right direction,'' Taylor said. “That is a team that in the past wouldn't have responded in those sorts of situations. But it was physical, wire-to-wire.''

Taylor tells like it is, or isn't. He's upbeat about the Aztecs' swagger, a look dating to coach Brady Hoke becoming coach in 2009.

Now that Hoke's successor, Rocky Long's fingerprints are on the squad, Taylor doesn't see much difference –- and that's a good thing.

“I think Brady hiring Rocky in the first place as a defensive coordinator was the key,'' Taylor said. “And it was a perfect marriage when Rocky took over because they are so similar in their philosophy in building a program.

“In watching San Diego State before Brady and Rocky, no disrespect to the other coaches, but they were soft. Both physically and mentally.''

But there was the amazing Aztecs on display Saturday in Idaho, a late-night showing of brawn and brains. In the land of potatoes, it was the Broncos getting poked in the eye as SDSU won its fifth straight game.

“That is not an easy place to go and play,'' Taylor said. “San Diego State is one of three teams to beat Boise State Coach (Chris) Petersen there –- are you kidding me? For them to do that, following up a win against Nevada on the road, it was impressive.''

With Penn State back in the news as its former president, Graham Spanier being charged for his mute response to coach Jerry Sandusky's criminal behavior, Taylor's isn't shy about speaking out.

Not only regarding Penn State's atrocities, but that he, too, was a sexual abuse victim around the same age as his first son.

“I had an older male family member that I had incident with,'' Taylor said. “It had a profound affect on me in ways I didn't know.''

Maybe because Taylor pushed the ugly scenario far from his conscious. He stiff-armed the memory with such conviction that it wasn't until the Penn State nightmare surfaced that Taylor finally came to terms with his abuse.

“When all that first went down I got a call from our producer and he said we got to address this on air,'' Taylor said. “He said one of the other analyst had been sexually abused and was willing to talk about it, and it all hit me at once. I started to get emotional and I really didn't know why.

“Then my wife said, 'Didn't you tell me once your cousin had done something to you?' And I said, holy (shoot), and that proved the power of repression. It didn't occur to me until she said it that I was a victim of sexual abuse, too.''

While aghast with Penn State's behavior, Taylor is encouraged that the national conversation includes the horrors of sexual abuse.

Regrettably, Taylor said it's more widespread than imagined.

“People are talking about it and that is the silver lining in this whole deal,'' he said. “Because it is the elephant in the middle of the room.

“On our show, two of the four announcers had been abused. In my class at Notre Dame, seven were abused as children. So if it is that prevalent in football circles, multiply that across society and it is pretty astounding on how frequent it was going on.''

Taylor isn't seeking sympathy. Instead he speaks for those that can't.

“It's a traumatic violation of trust,'' Taylor said. “Boundaries are broken and it severely retards one's ability to navigate trust, love and sexual boundaries. It breaks down all those barriers.''

Taylor used to bust heads. Now he bangs out the message of football, but more importantly, of protecting our youth.